Last support for last inserting machines



May 3, 1949. J. w. PRATT 6 5 LAST SUPPORT FOR LAST INSERTING MACHINES Filed Aug. .29, 1947 I z Sheets-Sheet 1 \lnvcnfar" John William PraZZ By His fillorrze y May 3, 1949. J. w. PRATT LAST SUPPORT FOR LAST INSERTING MACHINES Filed Afig. 29, 1947 s Sfieets-Sheet s Patented May 3, 1949 LAST SUPPORT FOR LAST INSERTING MACHINES John William Pratt, Leicester, England, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J a corporation of New J ersey Application August 29, 1947, Serial No. 771,193 In Great Britain September 21, 1946 7 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for effecting relative movement of shoes and their lasts, and more particularly to improvements in last supports for operation'in combination with such machines. While the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the same general type as that shown in No. 2,427,356, granted September 16, 194.7, -on the application United States Letters Patent of N. H. Knowlton, it will be understood that it is .not thus limited in use but may be applicable in combination with machines for performingother operations. Although machines of the type just mentioned may be found convenient for operation on shoes of other kinds, they are particularly suitable for use on shoes of the so-called slip lasted or platform type, the making of which normally requires during at least one; stage of its manufacture the mounting of the partially completed shoe over its extended, collapsiblelast.

For convenience-the word last as herein used refers generally to. lasts of the collapsible, two-part hinged, or pivoted link types, all of which have foreparts displaceable relatively to their heel portions. Also, to designate other footwear generally or in reference to shoes completed or partially completed, the term shoe unit is hereinafterused It is found that the ease and effectiveness with which machines of the above-mentioned type move a shoe unit relatively to its last depend in large measure upon the means maneuverably supporting the last relatively to the operating friction tool. In addition to having aid in facilitating a change in thelocality of operation of the friction tool during its engagement with a shoe unit bottom, by such means as have been disclosed in the application cited for example, the operator will also find it convenient to be able simultaneously to maintain a last in extended condition despite its tendency to be broken by the thrust of such a tool.

The principal object of the invention is to provide, in a machine of the type referred to for mounting a shoe unit on its last, an improved support for a last which will sustain a thrust on the bottom forepart of the shoe unit yet positively and automatically maintain such a last in straight or extended condition while such last is maneuvered within its field of operation.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, the illustrative machine is provided with novel means for supporting the last in its extended condition during operation of the friction tool on a shoe unit which is to be urged onto the last, said means comprising, a- V-notched member adapted to seat the front cone of a last and then, byreason of the thrust of said tool, become auton matically locked in position relatively to the last pin engaging the back cone of the last.

The above and other features of the invention, including various novel details of construction and combinations of parts, will now be more particularly described by reference to the accompanying drawings and thereafter pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is an angular view of an illustrative last support in which the invention isembodied, a portion of the last pin being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view in side elevation of the same last support;

Fig. 3 is a partial View taken in-the direction of the arrow A in Fig. 2, indicating a pivotal mounting of the block carrying the last pin and last cone support;

Fig. 4 is afront elevation of a portion of the machine, showing the-mounting of the treadleoperated forked lever and its downwardly yielding, adjustable upright slide for carrying the last supporting block, a small portion being in section;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the operative portions of the machine, the lastsupport being in an inoperative or loading position relatively to the driven friction tool; and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of portions of the machine showing the last support in operating.

position, relatively to the driven friction tool.

In view of the disclosure in the previously mentioned Letters Patent of the general organization of machines of thetype herein illustrated, only such parts of the machine as it is necessary to refer to for an understanding of the invention will be herein described in detail.

In the illustrative machine an operating tool which is to engage the bottom of a shoe unit comprises a driven endless belt 20 (Figs. 5 and 6) of rubber or other suitable friction material loosely mounted upon an idler roll 22 of small diameter and a driver roll 24. of large diameter covered with rubber, both rolls being secured on shafts journaled in bearings formed in the upper portion of a frame 26 (Fig. 4) of the machine. The present machine, like that disclosed in the patent above mentioned, is so organized as to enable the operator to urge the support for the last L, hearing the general designation 25 (Fig. toward the belt 26 until the bottom of the shoe unit to be mounted on its last L is engaged by the belt, whereupon the belt, which is driven anti-clockwise as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, comes into frictional engagement with the shoe unit bottom to urge the shoe unit upwardly on the last.

As shown in Fig. 2, a last pin 28, engageable with the thimble hole of a last L, is secured in the upper portion of a vertically inclined block 36 in a position to support the last for presentation of the shoe unit bottom to the roll 24. The last pin 28 is secured in the block 36 by a setscrew 32. The block 36 is pivotally mounted for transverse swinging movement upon a bearing pin 34 and is retained thereon by a flange 36 which enters a groove 31 formed in the block 36. The upper surface of the flange 36 may be arcuate about the axis of the pin 34 to enable the block 36 to clear the flange 36. The flange 36 serves also to brace the block 36 and relieve stress which would otherwise have to be carried by the pin 34 as will subsequently appear. The outer end of the pin 34 has a head 38 upon which is formed a flat surface 39 (see also Fig. 3). Housed within a bore of the block 36 is a plunger 46 pressed downwardly by a spring 42, the lower end of this plunger engaging the fiat surface 39 to hold the block 30 yieldably in a neutral position about the axis of the pin 34.

The bearing pin 34 is secured in an inclined upward extension of a sleeve 44 and its axis is substantially parallel to the axis of the last pin 28, both pins 34 and 28 preferably being inclined upwardly from the horizontal at an angle of about 12. It will be noted also (Fig. 6) that the axis of the bearing pin 34 preferably passes through the bottom forepart of a shoe unit at or close to the locality where the forepart engages the friction belt 26. The sleeve 44 is retained against heightwise movement on the upper end of a slide 46 by a bolt 48 and washer 56 and is held against downward movement by a shoulder 5| (Fig. 2) formed by the reduction in diameter of the upper end of the slide 46.

The portions of the machine so far described are similar to corresponding portions of the machine disclosed in application Serial No. 605,149 above mentioned.

Along its rearward face, i. e., the face nearest the friction belt 26 when the latter is operating on a shoe unit supported on the last support 25, the block 36 is provided with a plate 52 (Fig. 2) secured thereto by setscrews 54, and the rearward face of plate 52 is transversely serrated. A member 56 in the form of a small block having a substantially V-shaped recess or notch 58 extendingtransversely in a rearward face, the apex of the V pointing toward the front of the machine, is adapted to receive in this notch 58 the front cone of a last supported by the last pin 28. As shown in Fig. 2, the upper wall of the V is so disposed as to serve as an abutment for preventing upward movement of the front cone of the last, and both walls cooperate to oppose outward or forward movement of the last. The block 36 is a common support for both the last pin 28 and the member 56. The member 56 has guideways 60 (Fig. 1) formed in its side faces, the guideways extending perpendicularly with respect to slide the last pin 28. Two plates 62 secured on each of the opposite sides of the block 36 and spaced heightwise thereof have inwardly extending projections which are loosely received within the guideways 66 formed in the member 56. Secured to the forward face of the member 56 is a plate 64 provided with transversely extending serrations adapted to cooperate ratchet-wise, during operation of the friction tool on a shoe unit as hereinafter described, with the serrations on the plate 52 to hold the member 56 positively against upward movement with respect to the last pin 28. These serrations are normally held out of register by the action of spring-pressed plungers 66 which are housed in bores in the block 36 and which engage a smooth portion of the forward face of the plate 64. The member 56 provided with the V- shaped notch may therefore slide toward the last pin 28 and heightwise of the last support within limits determined by stops 68 engageable with the upper and lower plates 62. The stops 68 are formed on side plates 16 which are secured to the member 56 and which bridge the open sides of the V-shaped notch.

Fig. 4 shows an arrangement for enabling the operator to conveniently change the locality of operation of the belt on a shoe unit presented thereto by the last support. To this end, the slide 46 carrying last support 25 is mounted in an upwardly extending bearing 12 in a lever 74 which has a lower forked end pivoted around trunnion pins 16. The bearing 12 is just long enough to permit free running of the slide 46 under normal conditions, and it is short enough to bind the against movement when considerable cramping force is exerted on the slide, such as is developed by the pressure of the friction tool against the shoe unit bottom. As in the Knowlton application cited, the lever 14 may have a 0 rearwardly extending arm (not shown) connected tool.

through levers and linkages with a treadle, depression of the latter enabling the operator to swing the last support 25 to bring the shoe unit thereon into the operating zone of the friction Secured to the lower end of the slide 46 is a short cross piece 18 extending horizontally widthwise of the machine. From cross piece 18 depend two rods 86 which are bridged at their lower ends by a second cross piece 82 substantially parallel to the first. Two hooks 84, one in each side of the machine and spaced outwardly from rods 86, are secured to the cross piece 82. Tension springs 86 extend upwardly between hooks 84 and hooks 88 secured to the lever I4, serving yieldingly to urge the slide 46 and the last support 25 upwardly to an extent adjustably determined by the engagement of a collar 96 with the lower end of bearing 12.

In the operation of the machine, a last in extended condition is presented toe downward to the last support 25 which may then be in a convenient loading position, having been suitably turned with the sleeve 44 about the slide 46. When the last pin 38 engages the thimble hole in the heel end portion of the last, the cone of the forepart of the last will engage the V-shaped notch 58 in the member 56 and this member will slide, or if necessary may be moved by hand, heightwise of the block 36 until the front cone tip of the last is fully seated within the V-shaped notch 58. The side plates 16 may loosely engage opposite sides of the front cone of a last to limit its turning movement about the last pin 28. Different sizes of lasts may accordingly have their foreparts seated by the heightwise moveamegeos 5. ment of the V-notched member 56. A shoe unit being partially mounted over the forepart of the last, the last support 25 is returned to its'normal position so that the shoe unit bottom is confronted by the driven belt and may-by treadle depression be swung rearwardly to cause the friction belt 20 to operate on the bottom of the shoe unit. The pressure then exerted by the belt on the bottom forepart of the shoe unit compresses the springs of plungers 66 and moves the V-notched member 56 engaging the front cone of the last forwardly relatively to the block 30- to cause the the serrations on the plate 64 and plate 52 to cooperate and thus positively prevent further forward or heightwise movement of the member 56 relatively to the last pin 28 during maneuvering of the shoe unit relatively to the operating belt. In its locked position the V-notch sustains the heightwise thrust of the belt on the bottom forepart of the shoe unit while preventing the forepart of the last from being displaced relatively to the heel portion, and the extended last is prevented from pivoting in said V-notch by the automatic cramping action of the last thimble with the last pin 28.

To vary the locality of operation of the belt longitudinally of the shoe unit bottom, the last support 25 is manually displaceable downwardly in opposition to springs 86 supporting the longitudinal slide 46, Such displacement may be acconiplished while easing up on the aforementio'ned treadle to relieve the cramping force on slide 46. As the last pin 28 and the member-56 aremoved relatively to the friction tool, the, thrust of the latter against the shoe unit maintains the same ratchet-wise engagement of the serrations, serving continuously to lock the V-notched member 56 in fixed position relatively to the last pin 28 until the operation is completed. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the front cone of the last is held in its extended condition against heightwise or pivotal movement relatively to the heel end portion of the last and any tendency to collapse or break the last is overcome while the shoe unit is being mounted thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A machine for effecting relative movement between shoe units and lasts comprising, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit mounted on a collapsible last, a last pin for supporting the rear cone of the last, a member provided with a V-shaped recess engageable with the front cone of the last, a common support for said last pin and said member, and means for effecting relative movement between the friction tool andthe shoe unit bottom, the recess in said member being arranged to hold the last against collapse when the bottom of the shoe unit presses against the friction tool.

2. A machine for mounting shoe units on lasts comprising, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit in which the forepart of an extended last has been inserted, a last pin adapted for binding engagement with the thimble of the last, a member having a V-notch extending widthwise of said last for seating the front cone of the latter, a common support for said last pin and said member, means for moving the support to change the locality of operative engagement between said friction tool and said shoe unit bottom, and means responsive to the thrust of said tool during such engagement for positively locking said member against movement relatively to "said last pin, said'last mentioned means serving to prevent the last from collapsing under pressure of the tool upon the shoe unit.

bottom. I 4

'3. In a machine for effecting relative move-- ment between shoe units and'lasts, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit mounted on "a collapsible'last, a support for the last, said support including'a last pin adapted for binding engagement with the thimble of saidlast, spring-pressed plunger-s projecting from a serrated surface of said support, a front last cone engaging member normally held yieldingly out of engagement with said support by said plungers, and a transversely serrated plate associated with said member arranged to cooperate with the aforementioned serrated surface upon engagement of the shoe unit bottom with said tool, and means for swinging said support to bring the shoe unit bottom into and out of operative engagement with said tool.

4. A machine for mounting shoe units on lasts comprising, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit partially mounted on a last in extended condition, a support for the last, said support including a last pin adapted for binding engagement with the thimble of the last and a front last cone receiving member, means for constraining movement of said member to a path substantially normal to said last pin, means for efiecting operative engagement between the friction tool and the shoe unit bottom, and means responsive to such engagement for positively holding said member against movement with respect to said last pin, the last-mentioned means serving to maintain the last in extended condition.

5. A machine as set forth in claim 4, further characterized in that the member receiving the 40 front last cone has a recess which is substantially V-shaped to accommodate the cone tip and extends widthwise of the last, one wall of the recess being disposed to serve as an abutment for preventing movement of the front cone tip toward the last pin.

6. A machine for mounting shoe units on lasts comprising, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit loosely fitted over the forepart of a collapsible last, a support for the last, said support including a block, a last pin projecting from the block adapted for binding engagement with the rear cone of the last, a V- notched member engageable with the front cone of the last constrained for movement in a path substantially normal to said last pin and adapted to engage said block ratchetwise, and spring" pressed plungers projecting from said block which are responsive to the pressure of the friction tool on the shoe unit bottom to lock said member in fixed position with respect to said last pin, and means for moving said last support to bring the forepart and shank of the shoe unit bottom into and out of engagement with the friction tool.

7. A machine for mounting shoe units on lasts comprising, a driven friction tool engageable with the bottom of a shoe unit loosely mounted on a last in extended condition, a support for the last including a block, a last pin projecting from the block adapted for binding engagement with the thimble of the last, a plate affixed to said block on the side from which said last pin projects having serrations extending transversely of said block, a member having a V-shaped notch adapted to engage the front cone of the last, said notch extending widthwise of the last to seat the cone tip, a plate'secured to said member having serrations adapted to cooperate with the aforementioned serrations, spring pressed plungers associated with said block for yieidingly holding one of said serrated plates out of engagement with the other, and means for limiting movement of said member relatively to said last pin, and a yieldable slide on which said support is pivotally mounted for maneuvering the shoe unit bottom in operative engagement with the friction tool, 1

said support serving to maintain the last in extended condition.

JOHN WILLIAM PRATT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

5 v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,237,402 Standish Aug. 21, 1917 2,034,038 Holmgren Mar. 17, 1936 2,427,356 Knowlton Sept. 16, 1947 

